View full sizeLisa MedendorpMuskegon firefighter Todd Rake uses a thermal imaging camera to check for fire extension on the roof of Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, 856 W. Sherman. Charring from the fire is visible on the building corner. Fire broke out just before 6 p.m. No injuries were reported.

MUSKEGON — An electrical fire in a fryer spread inside a
Muskegon restaurant Saturday and caused roughly $200,000 damage, a fire official
said.

The blaze at Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, 856 W. Sherman, was reported
at 5:57 p.m. Ten employees and two customers were in the eatery at the time of
the fire. No injuries were reported, but firefighters were called back to the
scene at 9:05 p.m.

Firefighters were dispatched on a report of two fryers on
fire and upon arrival found the initial blaze had spread to other areas of the
restaurant’s interior. Smoke poured from the doors and vents. Police closed down
one lane of westbound Sherman Boulevard.

The fire was quickly extinguished.
Firefighters then used a thermal imaging camera to check the roof and exhaust
vents to make sure the fire was out.“I just drained the fryer and I was
getting the chicken out when I smelled this burning smell,” said employee Justin
Gilland. “I opened the fryer and there were sparks in there.”

Employees
sprayed a fire extinguisher and the blaze appeared to be out, but “it came
back,” Gilland said. They sprayed the extinguisher twice more, he said, and
“finally the flames got so big we couldn’t handle it and the manager made us get
out.”

Restaurant owner Rick Puthoff said he got a phone call about a little
fire, but was surprised when he arrived to find smoke pouring from the
structure. “Everybody got out, thank goodness,” he said.

View full sizeLisa MedendorpMotorists driving along West Sherman Boulevard near Henry Street in Muskegon slowed to watch smoke pour from Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, 856 W. Sherman. A 5:57 p.m. fire that started in a fryer caused an estimated $200,000 damage.

Battalion Chief Ron
Linstrom said firefighters shut off the fuel supply to the fryers so they
wouldn’t continue to ignite and then extinguished other areas inside where the
fire had spread.

Employees did not manually activate the restaurant’s hood
fire suppression system, said Fire Marshal Major Metcalf, because the manager
was concerned about everyone’s safety. The system also was supposed to be
automated, and Metcalf said he was investigating whether it
activated.

Metcalf estimated the loss at roughly $200,000 due to the loss of
the fryers, food and other damage. The restaurant was insured, he said.